Prepayment apparatus for delivering gas and like fluids.



W. GOX.& W. STAPLES. PREPAYMENT APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING GAS AND LIKEFLUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED T11R24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

WILLIAM COX AND WALTER STAPLES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO GEORGE GLOVER & COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed. February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,534.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM Cox, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, and IVALTER STA- PLES, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus for Delivering Gas and Like Fluids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to prepayment apparatus for delivering gas and like fluids and comprises improvements in an apparatus of that type in which a screw and nut are employed for controlling the gas valve the nut being rotated on the screw when a coin is inserted whereby the gas valve is opened, and the screw being turned by the meter mechanism as the gas is delivered whereby the gas valve is eventually closed when a predetermined quantity of gas has been delivered. Our said invention also provides a novel combination with the coinmechanism of another known apparatus in which a Geneva stop is employed and a looking catch to prevent the rotation of the wheel or disk of the Geneva stop when the same would be otherwise free to turn.

The present invention improves the construction of the apparatus, and in particular provides for the more accurate delivery of small quantities of fluid, for the more ready fixing of the operative parts of the mechanism in a meter, and other improvements in detail as hereinafter described. Our improvements are also applicable to meters which are set by an inspector directly without the intervention of a coin.

In the aforementioned apparatus mechanism is employed by which the coin causes the rotation of a disk carrying a crank pin engaging a nut which is thereby rotated and moved along a screw coupled to the meter mechanism, the return movement of the nut being effected by the meter mechanism operating to rotate the said screw. The to and fro movements of the nut open and close the gas inlet valve. According to our present invention such mechanism 1s modified to the extent that the rotation of the screw is effected by means of the coin, in a coin-freed meter, or by the inspector, in a prepayment meter where coins are not used, and the nut is coupled to the meter mechanism by a suitable projection and slotted sleeve. This arrangement of parts whereby a nut operating the valve lever is operated by the meter mechanism through a projection engaging with a slotted sleeve, and a screw carrying said nut is operated by the coin mechanism, or its equivalent, is not novel in its application to coin-freed and like meters, and is only comprised in the present invention as part of a novel combi nation of mechanical elements included in our said improved prepayment apparatus.

To simplify the constructional arrangement of the means heretofore used for varying the velocity ratio of the train of gearing connecting the coin pocket to the valve operating device, we dispense with the quadrant plate carrying one of the wheels of the change wheel train and we support the said wheel in a known manner, on a pin or trunnion adjustably mounted in a curved slot formed in one of the side plates of the frame in which the mechanism is mounted. Moreover, according to the present invention, we mount the train of gearing arranged between the meter mechanism and the valve operating mechanism, on a single standard, which facilitates the fixing of the parts when fitting up the meter.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front view of our improved coin-freed mechanism in position in a meter and Fig. 2 is an end view of the said mechanism seen from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view drawn to a larger scale hereinafter referrcd to.

As shown in this drawing, a is a frame plate rotatably supporting a screw Z) to which the gear wheel 0 is keyed. This screw engages a nut (Z having a sleeve or tubular extension c in which a slot f is formed, and a coupling shaft 9 carries a projection h engaging the said slot. By operating the handle 2' of the coin pocket of known construction after inserting a coin in the said pocket, the gear wheel 0 and the screw 5 are rotated. The connection between the nut (Z, sleeve e, and the shaft 9 are more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The screw 5 can be rotated by the handle a in one direction only, the connecting mechanism being arranged as heretofore known, and this rotation moves the nut (Z towards the left in Fig. 1. This movement of the nut acts through a fork 79 carrying a pin g to raise the valve lever r and open the gas inlet valve (indicated diagrammatically as r in Fig. 2), in the known manner. The lever 1 has a notch at its inner end to permit of said lever dropping to close the valve at the termination of the movement of'the nut d by the meter mechanism to be later described. Any advantageous form of valve may be employed, as for example, a turning plug, the stem of which is shown as carrying the lever 1".

When the meter mechanism'is 'at'work, the same acts through the worm 1 to drive the coupling shaft 9 and through the projection h and slot f rotates the nut (Z thereby moving the latter towards its initial position and thus closing the valve when the quantity of gas paid for has passed through the meter.

In the construction heretofore used, the wheel n, the position of which must be adjusted according to the size of the wheel 0 which is changed in accordance with variations in the price of gas, is mounted on a quadrant arm. In the present construction we mount the said wheel a, 011 a trunnion which is adjustable in a curved slot u having its radius extending from the center of the wheel 0 and formed in the frame plate a thereby simplifying the construction of this part of the mechanism without diminishing the ease with which a change in the velocity ratio of the train can be made. The removable wheel 0 is held on its spindle by a movable arm 2".

The gearing connecting the shaft 9 with the meter mechanism comprises, in a meter worked by a silver coin, a wheel 2 engaging with the worm 1 of the meter spindle and loose on the coupling shaft 9 but=fast to a pinion 3. Said pinion 3 gears with a wheel 4 which is loose on a trunnion 7 but fast to a pinion 5. The latter pinion 5 gears with a wheel 6 which is keyed to the shaft g. These wheels are all mounted on a single standard 8 as shown and can thus be very readily fixed in the meter. In the meter worked by a copper coin, the intermediate wheels are dispensed with and the worm 1 gears directly with the wheel fixed on the shaft 9.

In meters that are to be operated by an a shaft having a projection-engaged through said slot, and meter controlled gear:-means for drlvmg the shaft.

2. In meter mechanism, in combination a va ve and its lever, a screw, a nut mounted on the screw and engaging the valve-lever,

meter means for causing movement of the nut in one direction and gearmeans for causing movement'of the nut in another direction, such gear means including-a supporting plate, a' driving spur wheel removably mounted-thereon, said plate having a curved slot, a trunnion'adjustably mounted in the slot, a transmission spur wheel 'carried by the trunnion'a-ndmeshing with said driving wheel, anda driven spur wheel for causing movement of the nut and-ine shingwith said transmissionwheel.

3. In a meter mechanisnn-in combination, a valve, controlling means therefor, including a rotatable element andgear means for eifecting rotation of said element including a supporting plate, a driving wheel'removably mounted thereon, a driven wheel to operate saidrotatable element, said plate =hav-j ing a curved slot, theradius of which eX tends from the center of said driven wheel,a trunnion mounted for adjustablemovement in said slot and a transmission -wheel carried 'by said trunnion andinterposed-between said driving and driven wheels to operatively connect the same.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM COX. YVALTER STAPLES.

Witnesses GEORGE HARRISON, R; D.- LYNDE. 

